THE STUDY OF HOW CULTURE SHAPES HUMAN IDEAS AND LEARNED BEHAVIOURS. ATTEMPTS TO ANSWER HOW ONE CULTURE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD BY AN OUTSIDER. CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE NON-MATERIAL CULTURE – consists of thoughts and behaviours we learn and share with others. ValuesCustoms BeliefsSkills IdeasMyths LanguageFamily Patterns RulesPolitical Systems

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE MATERIAL CULTURE – consists of all the physical objects that humans create and give meaning to. ClothingSchools CarsBooks WheelsT.V’s

EXAMPLE OF A CULTURE – DIFFERENT FROM OURS What are the cultural elements of the !Kung from the Kalahari Desert in South Africa? adm03/kung.html adm03/kung.html ?v=oeeIuC77NVM ?v=oeeIuC77NVM

WHAT DO CULTURES HAVE IN COMMON? Culture is learned Learned thoughts, behaviors, and values i.e. type of food, hygiene Culture is shared A group of society thinks or acts in a particular way i.e. marriage in North America involves 2 people Culture defines nature We need to eat but what we choose to eat is culture We need the company of others, but how we relate to families and friends varies Culture shapes how we perceive and understand the world What is important to survival? Culture has patterns Underlying any culture are views that are taken for granted Many people in Canada share values such as progress, equal opportunity, democracy, and technology yet we don’t define our culture by these views.

CHARACTERISTICS OF CULTURE Values: standards of what is considered right and morally acceptable (influenced by religion) Norms: rules that indicate what people should do or how they should act (established by the studied culture) Symbols: something that represents something else. People become emotionally attached to symbols and are often reluctant to change them. Relating to symbols is unique to the human species.

WHAT IS A SYMBOL? EXAMPLE – NATIONAL SYMBOL Example: Ask yourself some questions about this U.S. flag: T he stars the U.S. states The stripes represent the 13 original colonies Both the stars and stripes are symbols; there is meaning associated with these symbols that the people in the nation accept

CULTURE IS ACQUIRED THROUGH LANGUAGE Culture is learned through language Babies learn language from birth: Through language they acquire culture A group with common language and custom shares a culture

WHAT MODIFIES CULTURE? Shifts in the natural environment (i.e. climate, population change) Contact with other cultures Discovery or Invention (i.e. medical advancements)

CULTURAL ANTHROPOLOGY: THE STORY OF OUR PAST A major earthquake has destroyed the once known area of Kitchener-Waterloo. After thousands of years, a civilization has developed over the remains of our dearly loved municipality. This civilization is very different than the one we once knew. During anthropological excavations, the new civilization comes across some artifacts that tells our story. The area of the excavation spans the entire tri-city area. Using your knowledge of the area, explain 10 types of artifacts the cultural anthropologists would find and what they would learn about our culture and city (ex. How would Deer Ridge from Downtown Kitchener?). Indicate how the cultural anthropologist would be able to sort out the objects they find into the various cultural/socio-economic areas of Kitchener- Waterloo (ex. BMW car ornament – Where would it belong?).

CREATE THIS GRAPH IN YOUR NOTES ArtifactWhat does it tells us about our society? City? Country? What area of K-W would this be found?

BRANCHES OF CULTURAL ANTHRPOLOGY Archeology: Analyze material and human remains left by ancient cultures (weapons, clothing, utensils, garbage) Anthropological Linguistics: Study of languages and how it is linked to people’s cultures (i.e. slang words) Ethnography: An in depth description of a particular culture Many live in the culture for a period of time to conduct “field work” (i.e. Margaret Mead) Ethnology: A study and comparison of past and contemporary cultures Gather information through observation and interviews

THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY Complete the chart on the handout while watching the movie: ut4tkWE4syNi_JS9TwdHwWHb88IjdXViJbL72ihqCt4QL cOdAnnLbYXX7orQAG7bjsROac.&URL=http%3a%2f %2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dpJGVc4_v dLk

ArtifactWhat does it tells us about our society? City? Country? What area of K-W would this be found? 1. Tim Hortons cup 2.Mcdonalds wrapper 3. Books 4. Cellphones 5. A bus sign 6. Flags 7. Diamond Ring 8. Credit Card 9. Hans 10. Hair Straightener 1.most popular coffee shop- we like coffee 2.That we are over weight and lazy 3.We were able to read and write 4.Modern/technology 5.That we had public transportation and a system for it. 6. Diverse + Different 7. Good Economy made good jobs 8. Well established econmony 9. People of Kitchener like drinking and celebrating as a community 10. That we care about our apperences 1.All over kitchener 2.2. All over the street 3.All over 4.K-W 5.All over K-W 6.Everywhere 7.Uptown Waterloo outside of Franks Jewlers 8.Anywhere 9. Everywhere in the Kitchener region 10. Residential areas, everywhere